Fire and Ashes, Making the Ballet Raku will have its' NYC premier July 21st at Lincoln Film Society's Dance on Camera festival followed by a Q&A with director Shirley Sun.

Set in historic Kyoto, the fictional story of RAkU is based on a true event, the burning of a sacred temple by a deranged monk. Yuri Possokhov’s choreography for prima ballerina Yuan Yuan Tan mingles Japanese Noh theater and elements of Butoh with classical and contemporary ballet styles to create a powerful dance drama. The film begins with Russian-born Possokhov and his team making plans over vodka and borscht, then moves into an intense rehearsal process, and culminates in a breathtaking performance by Yuan Yuan and her male partners—Damian Smith and Pascal Molat—as they enact this passionate tale of love and revenge. 

Buy tickets here for the 1 o'clock screening: Fire and Ashes tickets.